"We’re not office politicians. We come from the movements”: Electoral Politics as a Repertoire of Action in Contemporary Feminist, Black, and LGBTI+ Movements in Brazil
Author: Tayná V L Mesquita, taynamesquitaconsultoria@gmail.com
Department: Pagu – Center for Gender Studies
University: State University of Campinas, Brazil
Supervisor: Regina Facchini
Year of completion: In progress
Language of dissertation: Portuguese
Keywords:
Intersectionalities
, Electoral Politics
, Contemporary Social Movements
, Repertories of action
Areas of Research:
Social Movements, Collective Action and Social Change
, Political Sociology
, Racism, Nationalism and Ethnic Relations
Abstract
This research aims to contribute to the field of studies focused on understanding the relationships established between contemporary social movements—particularly feminist, Black, and LGBTI+ movements—and the State, with an emphasis on the dimension of electoral politics in a context of profound transformations in Brazilian democracy.
To this end, the study seeks to examine the trajectories of political socialization, the political repertoires, and the framings mobilized by actors connected to contemporary feminist, Black, and LGBTI+ movements as they engage with electoral politics (including candidacies, individual mandates, and collective mandates). It investigates the networks of relationships and the productive circulation of ideas, practices, and people shaped through the processes of entering, remaining in, and—when applicable—disengaging from electoral politics.
The research is grounded in the contributions of socio-anthropological studies on contemporary social movements—particularly those focusing on feminist, Black, and LGBTI+ struggles—as well as in literature centered on intersectionality and the analytical treatment of difference and lived experience. These perspectives are articulated with theoretical frameworks that emphasize relational and processual approaches to collective action, along with insights from literature on the political underrepresentation of historically marginalized social groups.
A combination of methodological strategies was employed, including participant observation, document analysis, and in-depth interviews.
